


Silly Humans

by armored_alchemist



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: It's a surprise - Freeform, M/M, guess, who's the palm tree?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 03:03:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armored_alchemist/pseuds/armored_alchemist
Summary: I spy with my little eye...A palm tree,Giving someone a run for their money.





	Silly Humans

Riza Hawkeye's POV

My duty was to Roy and Roy alone, nobody else. No matter how much my motherly instincts urged me to protect Fullmetal, I needed to stay loyal and not be swayed by my affections towards a small boy who obviously craved comfort.

Those were the thoughts in my head as I swiftly rounded the hallway, papers in hand. Colonel Mustang had sent me to deliver a folder with some information pertaining to a new mission to Fullmetal and his brother.

I almost passed one of the numerous rooms but I stopped, recognizing Fullmetal's voice coming from inside.

"Al, I just.. I don't know how to say it."

I shouldn't eavesdrop. 'Ah, who am I kidding!' I smiled gently. I eavesdrop all the time.

Another voice, Alphonse presumably, responded. "Does or have to do with the military? Every time you're in this place, you seem... Testy."

"I'M NOT TESTY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!"

Alphonse was right, as I and others had noticed Edward had indeed been more irritable than usual. Especially around Colonel Mustang.

"Brother, yes you are."

"...Alright." Edward conceded. "Maybe I am, but there's a perfectly acceptable explanation!"

"Which is?" Cued Alphonse.

Edward's gulp was audible. "Um, well it's just that - see, you know, because of the - and the what's it -"

"Brother! When did you stop being able to tell me any and everything? Don't you trust me? If not, who do you trust?"

"That bastard." Fullmetal replied quickly. "Wait! No! That's not what I meant!"

Silence. Then, "Oh. You've got a crush on Colonel Mustang?"

Edward sputtered angrily. "NO! O-of course not, why ?!”

That was all I needed - or honestly, wanted - to hear. I decided the boys would get the file after I'd given a tip off to Mustang. It was something I felt he should know.

So, I walked back to his office only to find him slacking off, as per always, until he saw it was me and busied himself with work he refused to do outside my presence.

"Sir." 

He looked up, understanding by my tone of voice that this was more serious than petty paperwork. "What is it?" He asked.

"Have you checked on Fullmetal lately?"

"Not particularly. Should I?"

"Up to you, sir." I made to walk out. Then I realized what I said wasn't enough to warrant his attention. Colonel Mustang would either ignore it or take it too lightly to actually do anything.

So I added a little white one, "He was crying, sir." And with that I shut the door.

Colonel Mustang's POV

Whatever issues Fullmetal was dealing with was nothing his brother couldn't soothe. And besides, it was nothing I cared about anyhow... So I told myself.

"He was crying, sir." My head jerked up, mouth half open with a hundred questions, but I wasn't able to inquire further since Hawkeye had already left and made sure to close the door behind her.

Good one, subordinate. I sighed. She left me with food for thought, knowing full well I hated dwelling over and over on subjects I couldn't figure out. The only way to ease my conscience was to ask Fullmetal what was going on.

~~~the next day~~~ 

I almost nodded off at my desk when the office door crashed open.

"Hello, Fullmetal." I greeted nonchalantly, not even needing to see his angry figure to know his identity. No one else kicked open the door like that...

"What's the mission, asshole?" He replied just as nonchalantly.

"You're not even angry, yet you still insist on barging in and destroying government property. Those funny looking knobs are meant to o p e n the door." I shook my head, only half-kidding.

"Maybe I like making an entrance!"

"Maybe I like having a door. And I have to replace it every time you decide to 'make an entrance'."

"Or you could use alchemy, duh." He shrugged like that was a given.

"Yes, because fire creates things."

"Is that all you can do?" Fullmetal asked, genuinely curious.

"Is THAT all you can do?" I mimicked, but with a bitter edge, and gestured to the wooden fragments lying on the floor about his feet.

He rolled his golden eyes. "Just get on with it. Whatcha want?"

Oh, it hadn't slipped my eyes that he'd come alone. Fullmetal's brother usually followed him around like a lost puppy. "Sit down on the couch. We're gonna be a minute."

Giving me a look, he asked concernedly, "Is it serious? Want me to fix the door?"

"Yes, I should like to think so. And if you don't mind, please do." I said, nodding.

Fullmetal clapped his hands, causing blue alchemical light to occur. A new door stood in place of old and the blonde languidly plopped down on the couch, probably under the assumption that we'd be discussing a project or some lead I'd managed to scrape up on the Philosopher's Stone.

My guess was proven when he inquired about just that. "What'd you find out about the stone? Is there an easier way to create it?"

I disregarded the query and laid my chin lightly upon latticed fingers. 

"I heard you were upset yesterday." Normally I'd go with a more subtle tactic. However, subtle was not Fullmetal's style.

Edward's face immediately hardened. "Is that what you brought me up here for?" He harshly pushed himself off the couch. "When you find something of value to talk about, send Hawkeye."

"Your feelings are of value. Now, sit down on that damn couch and tell me why you were crying before I fire you, or worse." I paused to take in the teen's reaction, which was as expected one of slight shock and rising indignation.

"It's been bothering me all night." I mumbled more to myself but just loud enough to be heard, if he listened.

Fullmetal did, and he visibly swallowed, nervous. 

"Look, I don't wanna talk about it, alright? Just leave it alone." He said as he sat back down on the couch.

"Is it about your mother?" I hazarded a plausible guess.

"No." That, he seemed confident about.

"Your brother?"

"No." He shook his head, likewise.

"The poor Tucker girl?"

"No.." Though his voice was tinged with forlornness, clearly none of these had been correct.

"Is it someone here at the military?"

The awkward silence in the room spoke volumes. I looked up at his hesitation. 

"It's me, isn't it." I said confidently, having already known. I'd figured it out the night before, midway thru a bottle of vodka (following the bottle of Scotch and the four or seven shots I was by then far too drunk to recall the name of). 

I knew how Fullmetal felt. It suddenly became clear, while buzzed off my ass, when all the memories swirled around my head at once, not giving me any time to second guess my conclusions. Obvious, really. His unusually high irritability, poorly disguised anxiety, quick glances he didn't think I'd catch, the way his hand - specifically, the flesh one - found excuse after excuse to touch me.

My own feelings had also become clear in the haze.

"Yes," answered Fullmetal.

How odd. All this fight, only to give the answer away with no apartment qualms? Something was off, but hell if I could place a finger on what.

I heard footsteps before I felt the hand on my shoulder. I leaned back in the chair, beholding an expression of shyness and...

And a kiss, not that I wasn't expecting that. Though I was slightly dismayed at the level of skill he had; rivaling mine at a fraction of the age.

"Colonel Mustang," Edward started. He moved the chair back and gently sat in my lap, causing me to jerk a little at the suddenness of his actions. He wrapped his arms around my neck like a seasoned wife and said, "I love you, I always have." A single tear dropped down his cheek.

I brushed it away, and brushed my apprehension away, too. "Why are you crying? You know I feel the same. Can't you tell?"

"Yes, I know you love.. Me."

Why doesn't this feel right? His eyes aren't golden enough. His hair doesn't shine as normal. His face is pale and lackluster.

What's wrong?

"What are you holding back?" I had to know.

Fullmetal lifted his head back and more tears fell down his cheeks. His voice cracked. "I can't."

"Can't what? You can trust me." I chuckled, "Don't worry, nothing you say will scare me or run me off. I've seen my fair share of things."

With a sense of earnestness, Fullmetal started me dead in the eyes. "If I show you something, you'll promise not to run? You know me inside and out. You've talked to me every single day. You love me." These things he says as if to remind me.

I've seen my fair share, yeah, but this is getting pretty weird. Fortunately, the growing curiosity trumped the anxiety in the pit of my gut and I motioned for him to go on ahead and show me whatever this dreaded thing was.

Fullmetal extended his arm, pulled back the sleeve of his bloodred jacket to show me his wrist. With an ugly little red mark.

My face fell. "Oh, this..."

Edward tensed up, lip trembling: angry, defensive, and a hundred other things. I gathered him close to me and held on, using the side of my foot to swivel the chair so it faced away from the door. Just in case someone (Hawkeye) felt the sudden urge to check up on me. Fullmetal gave a small sob into my broad shoulder.

"I was going to... Do more, but I didn't wanna leave Al on his own. I don't know how... I just got so low. Everything hurts! I'm a worthless brother, probably a waste of space, I tried taking things that don't belong to me and it cost him almost everything, and with all the blue sparks in the world, I couldn't even save a little girl."

I just held him while he let it out, both tears and words.

I rocked Edward back and forth in my arms until he was okay (for the moment at least). I kissed the top of his head while he collected himself into something presentable for public eyes and reiterated, "If it gets that bad again, come to me. Preferably before this," my fingers lightly tapped his now-covered wrist, "Please. Time nor place matter."

Fullmetal nodded, took the folder I handed him as cover, and left, but not before giving me one last kiss.

After he was gone I put my face in my hands, crying, and spoke in my normal raspy voice, 

"Silly humans."


End file.
